Improvement in children s chairs



cushion, and a sliding lid or leaf.

UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

JEROME F. DOVNING, ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CHILDRENS CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,888, dated January27,1874 applieatici. filed August 11,1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEROME F. DOWNING, of the city and county of Erieand State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements inChildrens Chairs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to 'the accompanying drawing and theletters of reference marked thereon,

making part of this specification, in whichfeature of my presentinvention, and which rela-tes to the means whereby the attendant isenabled at any instant to convert the chair into a lounge, embraces ahinged back, as claimed in my Patent No. 138,620, a hinged seat or Thislatter feature is provided with an opening at its center, and which,simply by raising the seat, permits of its being used in connection witha suitable vessel as a childs necessary-chair. My invention alsoconsists in providing the chair A with a cloth or carpet boot, whichprotects the limbs of a child wearing short clothes, and supports andholds free from the floor the skirts of a child wearing long clothes;and this boot is a positive advantage, as the coldest-air in the roomisalways near the floor.

The construction and operation of my invention are as follows:

A is a childs chair, and is constructed of any suitable material, theframe work and hinged rockers having rollers on their inner surface,&c., being all substantially similar to the chair described in my PatentNo. 138,620, and before referred to'. B B are the arms of the chair, andmay be provided with inner facin gs or side pieces b b, as shown in Fig.2. When these side pieces are used, they must be relatively so arrangedin connection with the arms B B as to allow ofthe passage between theirouter faces and the inner faces of the arms of the curved bearing-platesc c of the back C. This back C is-hin ged, as described in my Patent No.138,620, and is provided with bearing-plates c c at its sides, whosecurved faces permit of their ready passage in and withdrawal from behindthe facings or linings b b of the arms. Near the upper section of thesebearings c c are a series of holes, c c', which, in connection with thebolts C C', passing through openings at the rear of the arms, provide ameans of fastening the back, and permit of its being secured in anupright position, as shown at Fig. 1, or of itsy being adjusted and heldat any desired angle of inclination, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. D isaleaf or slide, which is luider the cushion E, and rests and slides onsuitable recessed cleats or bearings d d, secured on the under surfaceof the sec tion of the frame which supports the seat. This leaf or slideis provided with an opening', D, at its center, which permits of itsbeing used in connection with any suitable vessel as a childsnecessary-chair. E is a hinged cushion, and is in all respects similarto the cushion shown in my Patent No. 138,620, exceptingthat it ishinged to be lifted toward the back, instead of toward the front, of thechair, as in that patent, and is so arranged in connection with thesliding leaf D that the chair; can be converted into aloun ge withoutlifting the seat, as the sliding leaf is extended or thrown out tosupport the limbsk of the child, instead of the cushion, as in my formerpatent.

Vith this arrangement, supposing the child to fall asleep while sittingin the chair, the same being in an upright position, as shown -in Fig.1, to convert the chair into a lounge you simply have to withdraw thebolts C' C' and lower the back, fastening it at any desired point, andthen draw out the sliding leaf D to support the lower limbs of thechild; all of which is done without moving or in the slightest vdegreedisturbing the child. Of course,

when the leaf D is drawn out, in order to render it comfortable for thechild, the opening D should be suitably covered.

This chair also can be used as aavalking chair by throwing up thecushion E, and drawing out the sliding leaf D, as then all the interiorframe of the chair is open and unobstructed, as in my former patents.

Having thus fully described the arrangement of hinged back, cushion, andsliding leaf, andl explained how, without removing the child, he

chair can readily be converted into a lounge, I will now brieflydescribe the other features connected with my improvement.

F is a boot, and may be constructed of carpet or any other suitablematerial. One end of this boot is attached to the section of t heframe-work of the chair which supports the seat, and the other end isfastened, by loops f f, to buttons or other bearings F F', inserted atthe front faces of the arms, as clearly shown in the drawing. This bootis provided at its sides with a series of these loops, which permit ofits being let out or taken up, as oceasion requires', so as toaccommodate itself to children of different ages. The ta-ble H isprovided with a swivel-pin bearing, h, and a checkplate, H. In the faceof the arm B is a series ot' socket-bearings, lo', and into either ofwhich the swivel-pin h can be inserted, and which not only provides ameans of its ready adjustment, but also furnishes such a bearing asallows of its being swung roundv in front or held at the side, as thepleasure of the occupant or attendant may desire. Then swung around infront of the chair, it is prevented from being carried beyond a givenpoint by the check-plate H and when in position at the front of thechair, it can be fastened by the ordinary hook and eye.

r What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is-

1. The hinged back C, sliding leaf D, and hinged cushion E, constructed,combined, and arranged to operate substantially as described.

2. In combination with a childs chair, the boot F, arranged to operatesubstantially as described, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof' I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two sub scribin g witnesses.

JEROME F. DOWNING. YVitnesses EDWIN A. SuroNDs, S. D. C. LANGLEY.

